Informal employment in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Informal employment was 3.6% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Informal employment in Bulgaria, 2014–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total non-agricultural employment.
Analysis
In 2024, informal employment in Bulgaria stood at 3.6%.
That represents a change of down 37.9% on the previous year and down 34.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Bulgaria peaked at 5.8% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2019.
Bulgaria ranks 39th of 45 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Informal employment in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | % of total non-agricultural employment | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5.4% | — |
| 2015 | 4.7% | -13.5% |
| 2016 | 5.6% | +18.7% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | -51.3% |
| 2018 | 3.1% | +13.4% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -23.3% |
| 2020 | 4.0% | +68.7% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | +35.5% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | -10.6% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | +19.4% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | -37.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.0% | 2.4% | 5.6% | 6 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 3.6% | 5.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More work & labour data for Bulgaria
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7248 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7441 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.5 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.5166 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,606 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 817.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1,761 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1,770 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3,531 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Bulgaria?
- Informal employment in Bulgaria was 3.6% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 5.8% in 2023.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2019.
- How does Bulgaria rank for informal employment?
- Bulgaria ranks 39th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Informal employment (% of total non-agricultural employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This indicator shows the share of workers at working age in informal employment in non-agricultural activities out of total employment in non-agricultural activities, expressed as a percentage. Informal employment comprises workers whose main or secondary jobs are informal. For own-account workers and employers, informality is determined by enterprise characteristics (unincorporated, market-based, and unregistered); for contributing family workers, it is determined by the absence of written contracts and lack of coverage under labor legislation; and for employees, it is determined by whether the employment relationship is not subject to national labor legislation, income taxation, or social protection. The data are based on the statistical standards adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS).